Electric-light-bulb wrench



I. H. R ONNI NG ELECTRIC; L'IGHT BULB WRENCH June 17 1924.

Fi'led Feb. 14 1922 6 Ltm' mg.

Patented June 17, 1924-.

UNITED STATES IRVINE I-I. RUNNING, OF GLENWOOD, MINNESOTA.

ELECTRIC-LIGI-IT-BUIJB WRENCH.

Application filed. February 14, 1922. Serial No. 536,527.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that IRVINE H. RONNING, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Glenwood, in the county of Pope and State of Minnesota, has invented new and useful Improvements in Electric-Light- Bulb Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient means whereby bulbs used in connection with electric lighting systems may readily be mounted and dismounted with reference to their sockets when located in inconvenient or ordinarily inac- 5 cessible places as for example in chandeliers or fixtures such as are used in rooms with high ceilings'where usually it is necessary to resort to the use of ladders or the like; and with this object in view the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side View partly broken away of a wrench embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is an edge view of the same. Figure 3 is an end view showing the relative arangement of the jaws.

The tool consists essentially of a shank or stem 10 which is preferably tubular and is provided at one end with a looped grip or handle 11 and at the other end with a fork or Y having the divergent arms 12 upon the extremities of which are pivotally mounted 14 for engagement with a lamp bulb such as that indicated at 15.

Arranged for sliding movement in the bore of the tubular stem or shank is an operating rod 16, the lower extremity of which diametrically spans the looped grip or handle and has its terminal projecting beyond the grip and fitted with a push-button 17 between which and the grip there is a compression actuating spring 18 disposed in surounding relation with the operating rod. The opposite terminal of the operating rod is connected by means of links 19 with the inwardly projecting terminals or arms of the bell crank levers 13 so that, by pressure upon the button 17, the jaws may be spread or separated to receive the lamp bulb and when the button is released, the spring 18 serves to hold the jaws in engaging relation with the bulk The handle or grip being of looped angular or bell-crank levers 13 carrying jaws form adapts the device to be held in one hand with the fingers through the loop and the rod passing between the second and third lingers so that the button may rest in the palm of the hand for ready movement to actuate the rod to spread the jaws.

The jaws are preferably of arcuate, approximately semi-circular form as indicated and are constructed of spring or resilient material with frictional pads or cushions 2O lining the inner surfaces thereof both to avoid scratching or marring the bulb and to ob tain a suflicient frictional engagement therewith to permit of turning the bulb to effect the engagement or disengagement of the plug with the socket.

Obviously the stem or shank may be made of any required length to suit the conditions under which the tool is tobe employed or may be of sectional form to permit of variation of the length to suit different positions without essential departure from the invention which contemplates the provision of means whereby the placing and displacing of lamp bulbs may be effected under conditions which ordinarily render the operation inconvenient and at times even hazardous, without necessitating the use of ladders or other means of approach, and obviously with the expenditure of much less time and with less liability of breaking the bulb than is ordinarily involved in such operations.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and useful is z- An electric light bulb wrench comprising a tubular shank formed at one end with looped grip and at the other end with a fork having diverging arms, bell crank levers pivotally mounted upon the extremities of said diverging arms, an arcuate jaw member carried at one extremity of each of the bell crank levers, an operating rod slidably mounted in the bore of the stem and having link connection with the bell crank levers, the remote end of the operating rod diametrically spanning the grip and pro truding beyond the latter and being provided with a push-button on the terminal of said protruding portion, and a compression actuating spring in surrounding relation to the operating rod and terminally abutting the grip and button respectively.

In testimony whereof he afiixes his signature.

IRVINE H. RONNIN G. 

